Lucas watched as Peyton walked into the café avoiding his gaze and standing at the counter. He swallowed hard and eventually she looked up at him, her eyes cold and empty.

"Black coffee." She said coldly still avoiding his gaze. Lucas frowned slightly, why was she being so short with him?

"A please would be nice." He mumbled half to himself as he turned slightly to grab a mug.

"What?" She asked looking at him, he turned back and stared at her, he didn't think she would hear.

"Nothing." He muttered before picking up the mug again and sighing. What was going on with her? She hadn't been like this earlier…He fumbled with the mug and the coffee maker at his side and he could hear her sighing to herself impatiently.

"How long is it going to be?" She asked just wanting to get out of here, what Brooke had said earlier had really confused her, she didn't like him. She couldn't…then why did she feel so weird whenever she was around him?

"I don't know!" He said in return really starting to get irritated by her impatience. As he heard her let out another loud sigh he spun around quickly his temper fraying, he really wasn't in the mood for this and by the looks of it neither was she.

"What is your problem?" He snapped, folding his arms. He saw her flinch slightly before scowling growing defensive. He could sense this wasn't going to end well…

"MY problem?" She said pointing her chest indignantly her heart pounding slightly as she looked into his weary eyes.

"Yeah your problem, ever since I got here you've just been completely callous towards me. I apologized for what happened. I can't change the past even though I wish I could but it's past. I can't do more than say sorry Peyton." He said growing more angry aware that by bringing up old issues their whole past would be dredged up but he didn't care, they needed to do this and even though he was wrong he couldn't help but think she was being a little too harsh.

Peyton swallowed and stood back slightly her eyes widening.

"Woah! Where did that come from?" She asked affronted, crossing her arms across her chest defensively. She couldn't believe they were getting into this; her blood was pumping in her ears and her heart hammering.

"Come on Peyton, I know I hurt you but I can't change it!" He said desperately as he looked at her, she swallowed hard and blinked before looking up at him wearing a frown. He just wanted them to get over this and at least be friends.

"Look Lucas, just because you're bitter about your wife leaving you doesn't mean you can take it out on me and use our past as an excuse!" She said angrily, sweeping back her hair and staring him down, her hazel eyes blazing.

Lucas swallowed hard and took a step back, his heart beginning to hammer as he stared at her…

"W..What?" He stammered.

"You heard me. If this is what you're like no wonder she left you." She yelled and as soon as the words left her mouth she regretted it. She stared at him as his expression remained blank, staring at her. She shouldn't have said that…shit.

Lucas stared at her, trying to process what he had just heard. His blood rushed in his ears deafening him as his grip tightened on the mug in his hand…how dare she? He felt his heart hammering harder and faster as he lifted the mug and hurled it against the back wall with all his strength. The mug soared through the air before hitting the wall hard and shattering with the familiar tinkling sound of breaking glass or china that pierced the heavy silence and Peyton visibly jumped drawing away from Lucas. She looked down at the shards of china that lay on the floor the sound of it shattering still echoing in her mind before she drew her gaze back up to him, her heart hammering so fast she thought it would burst.

She looked into his eyes and she felt her mouth go dry and she saw them sparkling, shining with unshed tears and pain…she shouldn't have said it…oh god. His face…

"That's what you think is it?" He whispered his voice trembling as her mouth felt even drier, it felt like her tongue was stuck and she couldn't open her mouth…The tears welling in his eyes made his blue eyes shimmer in the dim café.

She looked away but when she heard a small, weak laugh she looked up and found Lucas smiling, resting his weight on his hands which were on the counter, his body leaning over as he looked down. She frowned confused, why was he laughing?

"That would be easier for you to believe wouldn't it? That just because you don't want me, no one else can?" He said his smile fading and that terrible look returning, the one that made Peyton want to shrivel into a corner and close her eyes, she couldn't stand seeing the hurt in his eyes.

"Lucas…I" She began her voice trembling as her eyes burned with unshed tears. He cut her off.

"No don't, just forget it Peyton. Forget it." He said lowly, turning away from her.

"Luke, me and Brooke, we thought…" She began again not really sure where she was going but she was cut off again as Lucas turned around sharply, his blue eyes still blazing with emotion.

"Exactly Peyton! You THOUGHT, but you didn't KNOW did you? You didn't even bother to find out." He yelled, his throat stinging as he struggled to hold back the tears…"no wonder she left you…"

"Well where is she then Lucas? Now that I'm "bothering to find out"." She said staring at him. He glared back at her and she swallowed…he remained silent. He looked away avoiding her gaze and she sighed, so when she did ask he wouldn't tell her? What was his problem? She knew she had been a bit harsh but wasn't that what he deserved after everything between them? She watched him and after a few seconds when he still didn't answer she spoke again.

"Well? Or are you too embarrassed? What's wrong? Ashamed? Did she run off with someone else?" She said derisively…she didn't even know where these words were coming from or why? Why couldn't she just Shutup…maybe it was just five or so years of pent-up anger all coming out now…

"Shutup." Lucas whispered, still unable to meet her gaze as he looked down at the counter, focusing hard on it. Intent on avoiding her as he studied each mark on the counter, the tiny scratches and coffee stains as he tried to block her voice out.

"Or maybe you just drive her away, maybe she just had to get away from you?" She said mockingly, still wishing these words would just stop…what was she saying?

"Shutup…SHUTUP!" He shouted, his head snapping upwards and his eyes full of pain, rage and despair all at the same time suddenly fixed back on hers. Peyton stopped suddenly, closing her mouth and blinking in shock…

The hot tears that had been building in his eyes began to overload, trailing slowly down his flushed cheeks as he stared at her, both of them just standing there in silence.

"She's dead okay?...She's dead." He whispered his voice cracking as he looked away briefly before meeting her stunned and horrified gaze again.

"Happy now?" He asked his voice trembling and wavering.

Peyton felt like a block of ice had settled in her stomach as she looked down, tears welling in her eyes…dead? Oh god…it couldn't…he…what had she done? Oh shit…all the things she had said, the way she treated him, why he looked so depressed…why she wasn't here and he was…oh fuck.

"I didn't…Lucas I…" She stammered tripping over her words as her head spun.

Tears still cascading down his cheeks he shook his head.

"Don't Peyton, just don't."

His heart hammering faster he pulled of his apron and threw it to the floor, swallowing hard and storming past Peyton, not even looking at her as he shoved a chair out of his way sending it to the floor with a loud clatter and pulling the door open, he stepped out into the icy driving rain and slammed the door behind him before storming across the road leaving Peyton alone in the empty café.

She leant against the side, letting the warm tears flow freely down her cheeks as desperate sobs wracked her entire body. She sobbed openly as thunder crashed through the night and lightening illuminated the stormy night sky. She sniffed and wiped her eyes quickly, glancing around the dimly lit room at the shattered mug and the chair on its side…what had she done? She couldn't believe it…how could she have said those things to him?…oh god…

She looked out the window to the pouring rain and swallowed, she couldn't let him go thinking she meant those things…she had to go after him…

XxxxX

Peyton squinted blindly through the dark as the cold rain pelted down upon her, soaking her through to the skin in seconds and her blond curls grew lank with water as she jogged down the street, looking around desperately for any sign of him?

She walked slowly across the grass in the park and sighed to herself, her breath rising in misty plumes in front of her as she suppressed a shiver and looked around. She couldn't see a thing. Another silver flash of lightning erupted through the sky causing the entire park to be illuminated in light for a second, but a second long enough for Peyton to spot a familiar figure not far ahead. Sitting on a swing by the riverfront…

She walked slowly forward, her stomach churning as she drew closer. She could hear the swings creaking slightly in the wind and as he rocked slightly back and forth, his back to her. She could hear the echo of her heart beat pounding in her ears over the wind battering the trees and the rain as she drew closer to him. She stood next to him but he didn't lift his gaze from the floor, he was completely soaked. Rain dripped from his hair and nose and his clothes were drenched. She looked down at him her eyes burning once more with warm tears…She slowly lowered herself down into the swing next to his and sat there, both of them sitting in silence getting even more soaked. She looked across at him and she could see his eyes still shining and she looked back down to the floor.

They sat there for a few minutes more in silence, the occasional car driving past at the top of the road and a crash of thunder disturbing the quiet…

"She had the day off work…I told her she should lie in but she wanted to give me a ride to work, I usually took the train so I said okay." He said suddenly starting to talk causing Peyton to look up and watch him, listening intently as she struggled to hear his quiet voice over the whistling wind.

"She dropped me off in the morning and said she had some stuff to do ,she was booking a holiday for us. She was driving back home and on the intersection…a truck driver he…he fell asleep at the wheel. She didn't even have time to break…She died and…and it's all my fault. If I had just taken the train that morning then she would have had a lie in. She'd still be here now and we'd probably be packing for a holiday. It's all my fault…" He trailed off, his voice giving out as he shivered and let the hot tears track down his cold, wet face.

Peyton stared at him in horror…how could…how could he think this was his fault? He hadn't told anyone and he had been carrying this around with him the whole time, thinking it was his fault and then she had said all those things to him…

"This isn't your fault Lucas…It's not your fault it's that truck driver's fault not yours." She said looking at him whilst he gripped the sides of the swing and looked down at the floor, she could see tears leaking slowly from his eyes and she swallowed her heart aching for him…she couldn't believe he was going through all of this, how could he be dealing with this?

"I just miss her Peyt…I want her back!" He cried desperately. Peyton felt tears rolling down her cheeks as she watched him before reached across and wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into a fierce hug, pulling him tightly towards her and rubbing his back gently as he didn't protest, he leant against her and cried silently as the night and the rain engulfed them.

"I'm sorry for what I said Luke…I didn't mean any of it." She whispered truly meaning it and he nodded silently, not trusting his voice as a painful lump formed in his throat.

They sat there in each other's arms as the rain poured down faster in torrents and thunder rumbled across the sky…lost in each other's embrace…